Intergroup 17, Inc.

Ocala-Marion County, Florida

The Voice Volume 27, Number 12 December 2010

One member‟s voice

As THE result of these steps A story of experience, strength, and hope

A quote for December

“Humility, expressed through anonymity,

is the greatest safeguard that

Alcoholics Anonymous can ever have.”

Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, page 187

“Having had a spiritual awakening as the

result of these steps, we tried to carry this

message to alcoholics and to practice these

principles in all our affairs.”

When I recite or read Step Twelve, I add

emphasis to the “THE” because I learned to

do so from the old timers who went before

me.

My first sponsor did it. My current spon-

sor does it. Perhaps you‘ve heard me do it at

a meeting. It is important to me – it is why

the Twelve Steps have worked as well as

they have in my life. The seemingly elusive

spiritual awakening with which we struggle

so is the point and the purpose of the steps.

Coming into my first AA meeting as an

unemployable scientist who ridiculed anyone

who spoke of faith and then hearing the

prayers and mention of God left me feeling

as if I was screwed. I took the advice given

me; ―Don‘t drink and go to meetings,‖ quite

literally, and it worked for a little while. I

experimented with the idea of a sponsor but

never called one – toyed with the steps but

was so afraid that there might actually be a

God that I never got far with them.

Eventually, ―Don‘t drink and go to meet-

ings‖ failed, and I fell into a pit of depression

the likes of which I had never imagined. I

quite literally stood at the jumping off point!

I had reached that state described in

Chapter 11 of the Big Book – no longer able

to imagine life with or without booze – afraid

to live and afraid to die. Almost five years

after my last drink, I had found another bot-

tom that finally pushed me towards getting

serious with the steps.

It was about this time that I met my

first real sponsor, a man of faith, very active

in the program, who had something I

wanted. From him I learned that no single

step is more important than another, that I Continued page 4 —>

In this issue One Member’s Voice .......................... 1

Tradition Twelve ................................. 1 December Birthdays ........................... 2 Archives Reflections ............................ 2

Tips for a Sober Holiday .................... 2

By the Books ........................................ 3 District 17 Corner .............................. 4 How to Contribute ............................. 5

Group Contributions .......................... 5 Group Meetings and News ................ 6 Special Events and Notices ................ 7

Contact Intergroup ............................. 8 Service Opportunities ......................... 8

I know that for most people

who come into AA, the big

dilemma is, ―how anonymous

should an AA member be?‖

Many good discussion

meetings come out of this

topic. Opinions vary, and yet

the most important part of

Tradition Twelve is our

charge to gain real humility

and some spiritual rewards.

Early AA newcomers

who got sober wanted to

shout their successes from

the rooftops. They began to

reveal themselves as AA

members by talking on radio

and appearing on television.

Unfortunately, when some of

them drank again, the gen-

eral public did not see recov-

ery, they saw only a drunk.

Tradition 12 tells us to

put our egos aside, work to

carry the message to the still

suffering alcoholic, and take

no credit for doing these good

works. ―This is quite and

order!‖ You bet it is, for our

average ego-driven alcoholic.

Bill W said, ―Anonymity

is humility at work.‖ Ano-

nymity tells us we must

make a personal sacrifice at

each level of service to the

still suffering alcoholic. It is

human to seek recognition

for all the people we help,

but the overriding principle

we are seeking should be

personal sacrifice.

The principle of self-

sacrifice must replace the all-

consuming, ego-driven alco-

holic personality. Everyone

talks about ―principles above

personalities,‖ but we some-

times fail to realize it is our

own individual personalities

that must be overcome

through the practice of the

12 Traditions of Alcoholics

Anonymous?

Prepared by Kathy and John P. The views,

expressions, and opinions presented here are

those of the authors and not necessarily

those of AA or Intergroup 17.

Tradition Twelve: Principles before personalities

“Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of all our Traditions, ever reminding us to place

principles before personalities.”

Happy Holidays from

Intergroup 17

The Voice Page 2

Congratulations December Birthdays!

This issue we celebrate anniversaries that add up to a collective 309

years. That‘s more than 112,785 days of sobriety. One day at a time!

Don C 45 years

Dawn C 27 years

Lorne S 27 years

Joe S 25 years

Chick W 21 years

Ralph H 15 years

Eddie R 13 years

Al C 11 years

Lisa S 10 years

Mary H 8 years

Beth S 7 years

Diane I 6 years

Rob G 6 years

Bob H 5 years

Kelli S 4 years

Max R 4 years

Mike B 4 years

Ron F 4 years

Ron R 4 years

Bob R 3 years

Kelly O 2 years

Marjorie T 2 years

Theresa C 2 years

Wayne Mc 2 years

Marlene R 1 year

Michael C 1 year

Peter G 1 year

November

Donald T 17 years

Rose R 11 years

Don D 5 years

Michael G 3 years

Ken W 2 years

Please share your AA birthday with all.

Deadline for January birthdays is December

20.

Email: thevoice@aaocalamarion.org

Phone: 352-867-0660

Greetings on

Our 10th Christmas, 1944

Yes, it's in the air! The spirit of Christ-

mas once more warms this poor dis-

traught world. Over the whole globe

millions are looking forward to that one

day when strife can be forgotten, when

it will be remembered that all human

beings -- even the least -- are loved by

God, when men will hope for the com-

ing of the Prince of Peace as they never

hoped before.

But there is another world which is

not poor. Neither is it distraught. It is

the world of Alcoholics Anonymous,

where thousands dwell happily and

secure. Secure because each of us, in

his own way, knows a greater power

who is love, who is just, and who can be

trusted.

Nor can men and women of AA

ever forget that only through suffering

did they find enough humility to enter

the portals of that New World. How

privileged we are to understand so well

the divine paradox that strength rises

from weakness, that humiliation goes

before resurrection; that pain is not

only the price but the very touchstone

of spiritual rebirth.

Knowing it's full worth and pur-

pose, we can no longer fear adversity,

we have found prosperity where there

was poverty, peace and joy have sprung

out of the very midst of chaos. Great

indeed, our blessings!

And so, --

Merry Christmas to you all -- from

the Trustees, from Bobbie and from

Lois and me.

Bill Wilson

District 17 Archives house the written and oral

history of AA in Ocala-Marion County. If you

have a story, memory, documents, photos, or other

memorabilia that relate to our local history, please

relay it through the Intergroup office to District 17

Archives Committee Chair. 352-867-0660. Email:

ocalaintergroup@msn.com

From the archives of Alcoholics Anonymous, December 1944

Greetings from Bill W

Plug into Intergroup 17 online

Explore our new website features: www.aaocalamarion.org Subscribe to The Voice by email: thevoice@aaocalamarion.org

Keeping Your Holiday Season Sober and Joyous

Holiday parties without liquid spirits may

still seem a dreary prospect to new A.A.s.

But many of us have enjoyed the happiest

holidays of our lives sober—an idea we

would never have dreamed of, wanted, or

believed possible when drinking. Here are

some tips for having an all-round ball with-

out a drop of alcohol.

1. Line up extra A.A. activities for the

holiday season. Arrange to take new-

comers to meetings, answer the phones

at a clubhouse or central office, speak,

help with dishes, or visit the alcoholic

ward at a hospital.

2. Be host to A.A. friends, especially

newcomers. If you don‘t have a place

where you can throw a formal party,

take one person to a diner and spring for

the coffee.

3. Keep your A.A. telephone list with

you all the time. If a drinking urge or

panic comes—postpone everything else

until you‘ve called an A.A.

4. Find out about the special holiday

parties, meetings, or other celebrations

given by groups in your area, and go. If

you‘re timid, take someone newer than

you are.

5. Skip any drinking occasion you are

nervous about. Remember how clever

you were at excuses when drinking?

Now put the talent to good use. No office

party is as important as saving your life.

6. If you have to go to a drinking party

and can‘t take an A.A. with you, keep

some candy handy.

7. Don’t think you have to stay late.

Plan in advance an ―important date‖ you

have to keep.

8. Worship in your own way.

9. Don’t sit around brooding. Catch up

on those books, museums, walks, and

letters.

10. Don’t start now getting worked up

about all those holiday temptations.

Remember— ―one day at a time.‖

11. Enjoy the true beauty of holiday

love and joy. Maybe you cannot give

material gifts—but this year, you can

give love.

12. “Having had a . . .” No need to spell

out the Twelfth Step here, since you

already know it.

Reprinted from Box 4-5-9, Holiday 2008 by permission of AA

World Service, Inc.

December 2010 Page 3

December by the Books STEP TWELVE

Having had a spiritual awakening as

the result of these steps, we tried to

carry this message to other alcoholics,

and to practice these principles in all

our affairs

Practical experience shows that

nothing will so much insure immunity

from drinking as intensive work with

other alcoholics. It works when other

activities fail. This is our twelfth sug-

gestion: Carry this message to other

alcoholics! You can help when no one

else can. You can secure their confi-

dence when other fail. Remember they

are very ill.

Life will take on new meaning. To

watch people recover, to see them help

others, to watch loneliness vanish, to

see a fellowship grow up about you, to

have a host of friends - this is an experi-

ence you must not miss. We know you

will not want to miss it. Frequent con-

tact with newcomers and with each

other is the bright spot of our lives. Alcoholics Anonymous, page 89

The joy of living is the theme of

AA's Twelfth Step, and action is its key

word. Here we turn outward toward our

fellow alcoholics who are still in dis-

tress. Here we experience the kind of

giving that asks no rewards. Here we

begin to practice all Twelve Steps of the

program in our daily lives so that we

and those about us may find emotional

sobriety. When the Twelfth Step is seen

in all its full implication, it is really

talking about the kind of love that has

no price tag on it. Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions,

page 106

TRADITION TWELVE Anonymity is the spiritual foundation of

all our Traditions, ever reminding us to

place principles before personalities.

Why is it good idea for me to place the

common welfare of all AA members

before individual welfare?

What would happen to me if AA as a

whole disappeared?

When I do not trust AA's current ser-

vants, who do I wish had the author-

ity to straighten them out?

In my opinions of and remarks about

other AAs, am I implying member-

ship requirements other than a desire

to stay sober?

Do I ever try to get a certain AA

group to conform to my standards,

not its own?

Have I a personal responsibility in

helping an AA group fulfill its pri-

mary purpose? What is my part?

Does my personal behavior reflect the

Sixth Tradition-or belie it?

Do I do all I can do to support AA

financially? When is the last time I

anonymously gave away a Grapevine

subscription?

Do I complain about certain AAs' be-

havior-especially if they are paid to

work for AA? Who made me so smart?

Do I fulfill all AA responsibilities in

such a way as to please privately even

my own conscience? Really?

Do my utterances always reflect the

Tenth Tradition, or do I give AA crit-

ics real ammunition?

Should I keep my AA membership a

secret, or reveal it in private conver-

sation when that may help another

alcoholic (and therefore me)?

Is my brand of AA so attractive that

other drunks want it?

What is the real importance of me

among more than a million AAs?

Step 12 Checklist, AA Grapevine

CONCEPT TWELVE

General Warranties of the Confer-

ence: in all its proceedings, the General

Service Conference shall observe the

spirit of the AA Tradition, taking great

care that the conference never becomes

the seat of perilous wealth or power;

that sufficient operating funds, plus an

ample reserve, be its prudent financial

principle; that none of the Conference

Members shall ever be placed in a posi-

tion of unqualified authority over any of

the others: that all important decisions

be reached by discussion vote and

whenever possible, by substantial una-

nimity; that no Conference action ever

be personally punitive or an incitement

to public controversy; that though the

Conference may act for the service of

Alcoholics Anonymous, it shall never

perform any acts of government; and

that, like the Society of Alcoholics

Anonymous which it serves, the Confer-

ence itself will always remain democ-

ratic in thought and action. The AA Service Manual

Twelve Concepts for World Service

Concept Xll Checklist

How do we guard against becoming a

―seat of perilous wealth or power?‖

How do we practice prudent use of

our Seventh Tradition contributions

and literature revenue?

Do we insure the spiritual liberties of

all AA members by not placing any

member in the position of absolute

authority over others?

Do we try to reach important deci-

sions by thorough discussion, vote

and, where possible, substantial una-

nimity?

As guardians of AA‘s traditions, are

we ever justified in being personally

punitive?

Are we careful to avoid public contro-

versy?

Do we always try to treat each other

with mutual respect and love?

The AA Service Manual,

Twelve Concepts for World Service

Excerpts from The Big Book, Twelve Steps and

Twelve Traditions, and other AA publications are

reprinted with permission of AA World Services,

Want to live by the books? Then buy the books! Find a complete selection of AA conference ap-proved literature available now at Intergroup 17

office. Ideal for holiday gift giving. 3666-A, NE 25th Street, Ocala, Fl 34470. Phone: 352.867.0660. Cash sales only.

The Voice Page 4

District 17 Monthly Meeting Highlights

October 28, 2010

DCM: Nancy D presided. 18 officers,

committee chairs, GSRs, and visitors in

attendance.

DCM Report: District 17 had 9 votes

at Area Assembly for elections of new

officers and delegate. Minutes of the

meeting are on NFAA website. Litera-

ture committee is seeking stories from

atheists, agnostics, veterans, and those

who suffered a disability after becom-

ing sober. Secretary’s Report: September min-

utes read and accepted.

Treasurer’s Report Accepted. Finan-

cials available to view on request. Accessibilities: Obtained American

sign language DVD speaker set from

the 54th FL State Convention; will

make copies for the lending library.

Corrections: Coordinating with

Nancy I who takes meetings to local

jail. Placed more books into the

women‘s Annex at Lowell Prison.

Grapevine: Will start work on pur-

chasing Grapevine subscriptions.

Intergroup: Picnic netted a profit of

approximately $700.

Literature: Donate copies of anniver-

sary edition AA Comes of Age to Inter-

group picnic auction and Gratitude

Dinner raffle.

Treatment: Meeting with representa-

tive of local facilities including NPI and

The Vines to explore meetings.

Gratitude Dinner: All planning com-

plete for November 13 event at Our

Lady of the Springs Church.

New business: Nominations accepted

for new DCM and Alternate DCM.

District 17 Corner

District 17 Officers & Service Chairs DCM: Nancy D

Secretary: Alison C Treasurer: Ashley C

Accessibilities: Ricky B

Archives: Kathy P Bridging the Gap: Billy C

CPC/PI: Vacant

Corrections: Sherry R

Grapevine: Lydia N

Intergroup: John P

Literature: Max R Treatment: William J

Bridging the Gap: Bill C

Group GSRs 164 Group: John B

Anthony: Lisa E

Came to Believe: John D

Conscious Contact: Jim B

Forest Group: Petra H

Free to Be: Brian L

Happy, Joyous & Free: Rick D

Head Start: Patti B

Keep It Simple: Tina T

Last Call: Chris P

Living Sober: Diane I

Men‘s Group: Bob L

No Name Group: Lisa E

Ocala Group: Ricky B

Sober Yankees: Ginger H

We Give Up: Carol W

Weir Crazy: Jennifer M

Young People‘s Group: Melissa B

The list above includes names of GSRs who have

been active in recent District 17 activities. If your

group‘s GSR is not listed, please send name and

contact info to: thevoice@aaocalamarion.org

To contact a District 17 officer, service

chair, or GSR, call 352.867.0660.

As THE result of these steps Continued from page 1

could not get everything I wanted from

life without working all twelve with

equal fervor, and not to limit their

power with my preconceived ideas.

Steps Two and Three continued to

strike terror in my heart, but encour-

aged by my sponsor and my friends, I

finally began the journey. I learned to

set aside my prejudice and my penchant

for perfectionism and simply to begin.

I continue to come across folks who

think that they have to complete one

step perfectly before they move on to the

next. This just isn‘t so! Do what you

can and move on to the next. The goal

here is to get to Step Twelve so you can

go back to Step One. Remember the

―THE.‖ We have the spiritual experi-

ence as ―THE result of . . .‖

I‘m not sure just when this began to

take shape in my mind – that the spiri-

tual experience that was ―THE‖ result of

the steps didn‘t necessarily happen be-

cause of all of my hard work. You

―gotta‖ keep the whole step in context.

―Having had a spiritual awakening as

‗THE‘ result of these steps, we tried to

carry this message to alcoholics and to

practice these principles in all our af-

fairs.‖

Other people tried (successfully) to

carry this message to me! And they

practiced the principles in their affairs.

I knew they were doing that because

they were nice and helpful and kind to

me, often when I didn‘t deserve it.

Step Twelve came full cycle for me

when I saw that the spiritual experience

was the result of working the previous

steps with the encouragement of others

who were doing so because they had

already worked the steps and were be-

coming principled, as well as nice. I

should have warned you at the begin-

ning that I have a broke brain.

When you realize that you have

achieved some level of comfort with be-

ing in the presence of God and that His

presence is frequently brought on by

being nice to others, you‘re developing

some skill at this step.

Dan J

Ocala, Florida

December 2010

The thoughts, expressions, and opinions expressed

by the author are not necessarily the thoughts, ex-

pressions, and opinions of AA as a whole or Inter-

group 17 Inc.

Next Meeting. All Welcome.

Thursday, January 27, 2011, 6:00 pm

St. Mark‘s UMC

3452 NE Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

The Accessibilities Committee of Dis-

trict 17 is charged with carrying the

message to alcoholics with special

needs.

While there are no ―special‖ alco-

holics, there are members of our fellow-

ship who find accessing meetings or our

literature difficult because of impair-

ments such as blindness, deafness, or

inability to walk. Others are hospital-

ized or residents of long-term care or

assisted living facilities.

The Accessibilities Committee is look-

ing for volunteers to help take meetings

and provide literature to such mem-

bers. A little service can go a long way.

To learn more about how you can help,

see Ricky B at the next District 17

meeting, January 27.

Accessibilities needs you to carry the message — literally!

December 2010 Page 5

Group Contributions to Intergroup 17

October 2010

This table presents contributions for fiscal year June 2010-May 2011.

Report below is from June 1, 2010 through October 31, 2010 only.

If there is an error, please contact Intergroup 17.

GROUP NAME $ Oct ‘10 Contri-butions

Contri-butions 6/1/10-

10/31/10

164 Pages Group $ 6.46 $106.24

Acceptance 50.00 50.00

Alive and Well

All You Need Group 30.00

As Bill Sees It 169.00

Belleview Eye Opener

Belleview God’s Way 5.70 5.70

Belleview Group 150.00

Bonfire Group

Breakfast Club 788.88

Cabin in the Woods 25.00

Came To Believe 24.00

Citra Group

Come As You Are

Conscious Contact 50.00

Day by Day

Eleventh Step

Experience, Strength & Hope

First Impressions

Forest Group 0.58 40.58

Fountain of Gratitude 50.00

Free To Be 45.00

Ft. McCoy Group

God’s Way Group 10.44 19.20

Grace Group

Grateful Gals

Green Group

Grupo Mano Abierta 25.00

Grupo Nueva Vida

Happy Hour Group 130.00

Happy, Joyous & Free 1,758.81

Headstart Group 29.18 153.30

Healing Group 30.00

It's In The Book 0.69 60.69

Keep It Simple 136.51

Last Call Group

Last House on the Block

Life is Good Sober Group

Life Saver Group 200.00

GROUP NAME $ Oct ‘10 Contri-butions

Contri-butions 6/1/10-

19/31/10

Living Sober Group 66.00

Lunch Bunch Group 159.05

Marion Oaks

McIntosh Group

Men’s Group Ocala 81.00

New Attitudes Group

New Beginnings Group

New Life Group

No Name Group 175.57 218.32

Ocala Group 502.63

One Page at a Time 34.00 34.00

Primary Purpose Group 24.00

Resentment Too Group

Second Step Group

Shores of Sobriety

Sisters of Serenity

Sober Yankees 100.00

Start A New Life 75.00

Steps and Promises

Stop Whining & Sober Up

Strength In Numbers

Summerfield Group

Summerfield New Green

Sm’field Living in Today

Sundae Social Group

TLC Group, The Centers .35

Thursday Night Step Gp.

We Give Thanks

We Give Up 47.03

Weir Crazy 143.00

Williston Winners

Won Rebos Group 44.83 44.83

Young People's Group 15.64 15.64

Zion-Blichton Group 20.00

Archives 16.00 16.00

District 17 100.00

Birthday Club (personal)

Double Nickel (personal) 10.00 10.00

Faithful 5-ers (personal)

Individuals (other) 15.17 54.71

Total $514.26 $5,830.29

Intergroup 17 Call Center

October 2010

Meeting info requests 93

Twelfth Step Calls 3

Office transactions 44 Visitors 54

Al-Anon* 2

Miscellaneous 26

*Calls requesting information relating to Al-Anon Family

Groups are promptly and respectfully referred to the

appropriate local resources.

Intergroup 17

Financial Statements

Monthly financial statements for

Intergroup 17 are available for

review at the Intergroup 17 office

during regular office hours. Please

telephone in advance to make an

appointment. 352-867-0660.

How Groups and

Individuals Support

the Work of AA

Group contributions funding the

work of Intergroup 17 and other

areas of AA. Many groups follow

the 50-30-10-10 plan of support

after they meet their own financial

needs:

50 percent to Intergroup 17

30 percent to AA General Ser-

vice Office

10 percent to North Florida

Area Assembly

10 percent to District 17

Group contributions

Intergroup 17

3666A NE 25th Street

Ocala, FL 34470

The General Service Office

P.O. Box 459

6035 E. Tudor St.

New York, NY 10164

NFACAA

P.O. Box 567

Melbourne, FL 32902

District 17

P.O. Box 3081

Ocala, FL 34478

Looking for a local meeting?

Choose from more than

160 meetings a week.

When and Where online!

www.aaocalamarion.org

Print copies available through home

groups or at Intergroup 17 office.

Here’s just a sampling.

Find scores more online.

Beginners Meetings Mondays

17th Street Group

6:00pm every Monday

Church of Christ

2730 SE Maricamp Rd., Ocala

Tuesdays

Living Sober Group

Your support requested!

Living Sober text meeting

7:30 pm every Tuesday

Congregational Church

7171 SW State Rd 200, Ocala

Meditation

Wednesdays Conscious Contact

7:00pm every Wednesday

St. Matthew‘s Lutheran Church

3452 NE Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala

Spanish Speaking Wednesdays

Grupo Nueva Vida

7:00pm every Wednesday

150-A SW 23rd Ave. (1/2 block South

of Ft. King), Ocala

Fridays and Saturdays

Grupo Mano Abierta

7:00pm every Friday

2082 Walnut Street, Dunnellon

Eat „n Speak Keep It Simple Group

Last Thursday of the month

Eat: 7:00pm Speaker: 8:00pm

Small fee for meal

Ascension Lutheran Church

5730 SE 28th Street, Ocala

Ocala Group

Last Saturday of the month

Eat: 7:00pm Speaker: 8:00pm

Small fee for meal. All welcome.

St. Mark‘s United Methodist

1839 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala

District 17 Monthly Meeting

No meeting in December All GSRs. Everyone welcome.

6:00 pm last Thursday of the month

St. Mark‘s United Methodist

1839 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala

Intergroup 17 Monthly Intergroup reps. All welcome.

5:15 pm second Sunday of month

St. Mark‘s United Methodist

1839 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala

The Voice Page 6

Upcoming Events and Meetings of Interest

New Meetings

Loose Horse Group

Fridays, 7 pm

Open Discussion

Friendship Baptist Church

15115 Gainesville Road

Reddick, FL

West Side Recovery Group

Starting December 8

Wednesdays & Thursdays, 7 pm

Open Discussion

215 NW Martin Luther King Jr. Ave

Ocala, FL

164 Pages Group

Two New Meetings

Women‘s Meeting

Mondays 6 pm WC/HC

Ocklawaha United Methodist

Church, 13333 East Hwy 25

Men‘s Meeting

Mondays 6 pm WC/HC

Ocklawaha United Methodist

Church, 13333 East Hwy 25

A Vision For You

Mondays, 7 pm

Open Discussion

Florida Highlands Baptist Church

10891 SW 155th St, Dunnellon, FL

DISCLAIMER

The Voice newsletter is published by Inter-

group 17 Ocala-Marion County, Florida,

and is created by alcoholics for alcoholics.

Articles in the newsletter written by indi-

vidual members of Alcoholics Anonymous

are expressions of their own experiences

and opinions and not necessarily those of

Intergroup 17 or AA as a whole. The Voice

editorial committee reserves the right to

edit anything submitted prior to its publi-

cation.

Meeting News

New Meeting Location

Lifesaver Group

Monday-Friday, noon, effective Decem-

ber 1. New location : 7365 SW 85th St,

Suite 206, Ocala, FL

Experience, Strength

& Hope Group

Fridays, 8 PM, Church of Christ, 2730

SE Maricamp Road, Ocala, Florida

Correction

Last House on the Block Group

Sunday, 3 pm meeting is a Women‘s

Meeting, not a Men‘s Meeting as pub-

lished in the When & Where.

Discontinued

Keep It Simple, Monday 8 pm meet-

ings discontinued. Will continue to

meet on Thursdays at 8 pm.

Steps & Promises Tuesday 7:30 pm

meeting discontinued.

How to publicize new and

changed meetings To help ensure the accuracy of infor-

mation about meeting dates, times,

and locations, please submit all new

and changed information in writing

or by email

(ocalaintergroup@msn.com) and au-

thorized by the Home Group chair-

person, secretary, or Intergroup rep-

resentative. Thanks.

December 2010 Page 7

Special Events, Celebrations, Notices

Join the

Birthday Club!

Celebrate an AA anniversary—yours or an-other member’s—with a contribution to help Intergroup 17 carry the message to other alco-

holics in Ocala and Marion County.

To join, send name, sobriety date, years of sobriety, and a donation—suggested is $1, $5,

or $10 for each year of sobriety to: Intergroup 17

3666-A N.E. 25th Street

Ocala, Florida 34470

Mark Your Calendar

See details elsewhere in this issue or call

or log-on for more information.

12/12 Intergroup 17 monthly meeting, St.

Mark’s UMC. See back page.

12/25 Christmas Dinner, 1:00 pm, Unity Place,

525 NE Sanchez. Free. See this page.

1/15-16, 2011 North Florida Area Assembly, St

Augustine, FL, www.aanorthflorida.org

1/19, 2011 AA/Al-Anon Retreat, 9:30 am to

4:00 pm, Queen of Peace Parish Hall. See details

this page.

1/21-23/2011 Big Book Workshop Weekend,

multiple speakers. $25 advance, $30 on site. See

www.leestapesandcds.com Call:1.877.902.5975

Email: leestapes@vaifamily.com

1/22, 2011 Grupo Mano Abierto 8-Year Anni-

versary Celebration. Details this page.

*Activities are listed for information only. Not necessarily

affiliated with AA World Services and/or Intergroup 17,

Ocala/Marion, Florida unless specifically noted.

Living Sober Group Speaker Meeting Sunday, December 12

7:30 pm

Speaker: Ruth T

Congregational Church

7171 SW State Rd 200

Ocala, Florida

Ocala Group Eat ‘n Speak

Saturday, December 4 Dinner 7 pm Potluck

Speaker 8 pm Mike G

$2 if you bring a dish

$4 without a dish

Join us in celebrating our

Eight-Year Anniversary

Grupo Mano Abierta

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Meeting 7:00 pm

Dinner 8:30 pm

All welcome. Please bring desserts to share.

12390 NW Hwy 328

Ocala, Florida

AA World Services

seeks personal stories for

two new literature projects.

AA World Services trustees' Com-

mittee on Literature is seeking stories

from AA members that reflect the wide

range of spiritual experiences and how

members with any belief or non-belief

have found a solution to the concept of

spirituality and sobriety in AA for the

literature under development.

Also, the trustees' Committee on

Literature is charged with updating

the pamphlet AA and the Armed Ser-

vices to include recent experiences from

AA members in active duty and a sec-

tion which focuses on veterans of the

armed services..."

Manuscripts should be 500-800

words, double spaced. On a separate

sheet of paper, please include your

name, address, telephone number, and

email address, as well as the project

you are submitting your story for.

The anonymity of all authors will

be observed, whether or not their story

is selected for publication. Please send

your sharing, by February 15, 2011 to:

Literature Coordinator, General Ser-

vice Office, Box 459, Grand Central

Station, New York, NY 10163 or email

literature@aa.org.

AA/Al-Anon Retreat

Day of Reflection on the Steps in

Our Lives with Fr. Patrick O‟D Wednesday, January 19, 2011

9:30 AM to 4:00 PM

Queen of Peace Parish Hall

$7 for pizza lunch, coffee & soda’s

Please call Joe S through Intergroup 17 at 352.-867– 0660 for more information and to reserve a space.

Great Gifts for the AA Member on Your List

Intergroup 17 carries a nice selection of AA

conference approved literature and other

recovery related items at affordable prices.

Stop buy and pick up a holiday gift for

someone special.

Intergroup 17

3666-A N.E. 25th Street

Ocala, Florida 34470

Phone: 352-867-0660

Office Hours Monday-Friday 10 am to 5 pm Saturday 10 am to 2 pm

In Memoriam

A memorial service for

Art Kitterman

will be held

11 am, Saturday, December 11

St. Mark’s United Methodist Church

1839 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala

An Invitation from Unity Place

Christmas Dinner

1:00 pm, Saturday, December 25

Unity Place, 525 NE Sanchez, Ocala

All invited.. No charge. Desserts welcomed.

Intergroup 17 Meetings Everyone invited!

Open to all. Learn more about AA,

Intergroup, and the great opportuni-

ties for service work .

Next Meeting

Sunday, December 12, 5:15 pm

St. Mark’s UMC

1839 NE 8th Avenue, Ocala

Intergroup 17 Ocala-Marion County

Florida

3666-A, NE 25th Street

Ocala, Fl 34470

Phone: 352.867.0660.

Website: aaocalamarion.org

Office Hours

Monday-Friday 10 am to 5 pm

Saturday 10 am to 2 pm

24-hour Hotline

365 days a year

352-867-0660

Free Subscription. The Voice by e-mail.

To subscribe for free,

send an e-mail

with ―Free Voice‖ in

the subject line to:

thevoice@aaocalamarion.org

The Voice by e-mail is in PDF format. Re-quires Adobe Reader software. Free download available at www.adobe.com.

Printed copies available at Intergroup office.

Attitude of GrAAtitude

A tremendous thank you to the eight

groups and other individuals who contrib-

uted $1 or more to Intergroup 17 in Octo-

ber, including:

164 Pages

Acceptance Group

Belleview God’s Way Group

God’s Way Group

Headstart Group

No Name Group

One Page at a Time Group

Won Rebos Group

Young People’s Group

Intergroup 17 serves more than 70 groups

in the Ocala and Marion County area

with a 24-hour hotline, volunteer staffed

call desk during office hours, up-to-date

website and newsletter, and much more.

All who have helped support these efforts

with financial contributions this year are

gratefully acknowledged on page 5.

Intergroup 17 thanks all who volun-

teer to make our service possible: Alison

C, Bill J, Bobby J, Mike G, Daniel R,

Ricky B, Jack, Lew, Diane M, Connie C,

Toni Marie C, Rick F, Phil H, Peggy N,

James N, Rafael Q, Bosch R, Ed G, John

P, Max R, Jim J, Sandy A, Rebecca S. If we‘ve left anyone out, we sincerely

apologize. Let us know, we‘ll make

amends. Every contribution whether in

time, energy, or money is greatly valued

and sincerely appreciated.

Priscilla P, Intergroup 17 Office Manager

Accessibilities Committee

carries the message to AAs

with special needs. Learn more about how you can take

meetings and AA literature to alcohol-

ics with special needs—deaf, blind,

homebound, hospitalized and more. A

little service goes a long way. Attend

the next District 17 meeting. (Page 4)

County Jail Women‟s Meet-

ings Need Your Support Help take meetings to women in

Marion County Jail Saturday morn-

ings (immediate need) and Thursday

evenings. Requires one year of sobri-

ety, no felonies or probation for past

year. Quick clearance with photo ID

and SSN. Learn more about how you

can help fill this critical service need.

Call Nancy I through Intergroup at

352-867-0660. Email: ni-

hasz@hotmail.com

Intergroup 17 . Desperate

need for office volunteers.

Treasurer position open. In-

tergroup needs immediate help in

staffing the office during business

hours. Please volunteer. Also seeking

candidates for the position of Inter-

group Treasurer. Call for more infor-

mation. 352 867-0660. Ask for Priscilla

or leave name and number.

Help take meetings to treat-

ment centers. District 17 Treatment Committee

seeks volunteers to help take meetings

to local treatment centers. Attend next

District 17 meeting to learn more. See

page 4 for meeting details.

“Corresponding” sponsors

needed! Women only. Learn how you can serve as a

―corresponding‖ sponsors to other

women alcoholics currently serving

time. Sponsorship can be done with

complete anonymity. Contact Debbie L

or Sherry R through Intergroup 17.

352-867-0660.

Take the message to local

correctional institutions. Meet a critical need. Applications for

men‘s and women‘s prison meetings

available at Intergroup 17 office. Call

352-867-0660. Or attend the next Dis-

trict 17 meeting. See page 4.

Publicize your group’s service opportunities

in The Voice. Call 352 867-0660 or email to

thevoice@aaocalamarion.org

Service. The Third Legacy.